Montone Orto Report

July 10, 2009

Don’t you think our salad from last night says it all?

Last night we succumbed to an acute bout of Locavore Smugness as we ate our home grown dinner: salad, tomatoes, cucumber, green beans were all from the orto, the wine is from our friend Amerigo at Polidori in Umbertide, the percorino (sheep) cheese is from Francesco Monni whose farm is down the road, I made the bread with my natural yeast from Montone air. We’re wondering if we can grow the tuna in our bathtub. Anyone ever try that before? Or is that how crocodiles wound up in the NY sewer system??

And here is your weather report: We’ve had unusual amounts of rain, actually we even had a “tromba d’aria’ or tornado on Sunday that made front page news! All the roads leading up to Montone were closed either due to trees down or land slides and at the Hotel Fortebraccio, the wind picked up one of those HUGE pool umbrellas and sent if flying 30 meters away. That’s impressive wind. Fortunately the orto was spared and our roof top grapes survived.

All is calm now and the sun is shining and the orto is beginning to produce some pacchieri (small oblong tomatoes) and cherry tomatoes. It will be awhile before we get any of the big beefsteak or ox heart tomatoes. The newly planted parsley is almost big enough to start eating. I’m still mourning the slaughter of the innocents, our aged parsley that was murdered by our well-meaning neighbor, but it looks like the new parsley will be just fine. We have salad coming out of our ears… now, why exactly did Signor Bruschi keep prodding us to plant more salad?

In other Montone news: the Umbria Film Festival is happening, we’re into the third night already. As always, the judges are front and center with large pads taking copious notes. Of course the judges are front and center because it’s our local kids who are judging the cartoons! On Sunday, there is a very solemn ceremony where they give award for best-animated short.

Before we know it, town will be humming with preparations for our August festa. How can the summer be going by so quickly?

And to Steve and Taylor who just left us: thank you for coming and sharing a little bit of Montone life with us! We love you and we miss you already!